In brief: Advertising is big business these days, and Uber is looking to capitalize on that industry in a more direct way now. Uber has partnered with ad tech company Adomni to place "ad displays" on the rooftops of its drivers' vehicles.
In terms of shape, these ad displays will be similar to what city-goers often see on top of taxis. Of course, as potentially lucrative as this could be for Uber, the company would have a hard time forcing its thousands of drivers to adopt these displays without giving them something in return.
That's why Uber will compensate any drivers who decide to play ball. Over the course of a temporary pilot program (we're unsure exactly how long it will run) across three cities, Uber will offer its drivers $100 a week (in addition to a $300 upfront payout) for installing these displays. Drivers will need to cart customers around for at least 20 hours each week to be eligible.
The types of ads Uber plans to show on these displays will vary, and we're sure the company has some internal system for determining when and where to display certain sponsored messages. Specific ads may work better in some participating cities than others, after all.
Uber's rooftop ads will reportedly begin showing up on April 1, so if you drive for the ride-sharing company, it might be worth looking into this program further. We'll update you if Uber releases any specific sign-up information in the near future.
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